Nonlinear model reduction for energy metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A nonlinear model reduction method based on time scale analysis was applied to a detailed mechanistic model of the glucose catabolic pathway in S. cerevisiae. The method allows us to identify quasi steady state constraints of complete conversion and reaction equilibrium corresponding to the fast reactions of the pathway, and to derive a reduced-order nonlinear model of the pathway dynamics for the time scale of interest, in terms of suitable linear combinations of the species concentrations. Numerical simulations were performed to validate the utilization of the reduced model in the description of the metabolic network.